Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service

The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS; Arabic: جهاز مكافحة الارهاب) is an Iraqi security and intelligence agency tasked with counterterrorism.^[2] The Service’s operational arm is called the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF; Arabic: قوات العمليات الخاصة العراقية). They are an elite special operations force composed of three brigades based in several governorates, and who are often collectively referred to as the Golden Division.^[3][4][5]

Counter Terrorism Service Iraqi Special Operations Forces CTS-ISOF
‏جهاز مكافحة الإرهاب قوات عمليات الخاصة العراقية
Emblem of the Counter Terrorism Bureau
Founded	April 2007 (CTS established)
Country	Iraq
Type	Special Operations Forces
Role	Special operations Direct action Special reconnaissance Counter-terrorism
Part of	Iraqi Armed Forces[a]
Garrison/HQ	Green Zone, Baghdad
Nickname(s)	The Golden Division
Motto(s)	"Raise The Black"
Colors	Black
Engagements	Iraq War War on terror War in Iraq (2013–2017) Syrian Civil War Islamic State insurgency in Iraq (2017–present)
Commanders
Commander-in-chief	Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani
Head of CTS	Gen. Karim Abboud al-Tamimi[1]
Commander of CTC	Lt. Gen. Hassan Makenzi
Notable commanders	Talib Shaghati Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi Abdul Ghani al-Asadi
Insignia
ICTB Flag
ISOF Flag

During the occupation of Iraq, all military, security, and intelligence entities of the country were dissolved by the Coalition Provisional Authority following the issuance of CPA Order 2, and rebuilt from scratch. CTS was created in 2007 and is funded by the Ministry of Defence.^[6] The Service played a crucial role in combatting terrorism during the war in Iraq (2013-2017). ISOF have conducted joint operations with the Green Berets.^[7]

History

 

Official ISOF logo from 1980 to 2003. Currently serves as the official logo of the 3rd Battalion.

The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) were established in 2003 following the disbandment of the Iraqi Army after the United States–led invasion of Iraq.^[8] The force was created under the guidance of the Coalition Provisional Authority, with its first recruits trained by United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Initial training took place in Jordan at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, where Iraqi soldiers received instruction in counter-terrorism, direct action, and special reconnaissance.^[9]

 

ISOF during training in Babylon, 2021

 

An officer of the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) walks alongside an armed commando near a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during operations.

By 2004, the force had developed into the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (ICTF), a specialized unit designed to combat insurgent groups and terrorist networks inside the country. The first Iraqi Special Operations Forces brigade (ISOF-1) was formed by the Iraqi Army with the help of U.S special operations forces in July 2005.^[10][11][12] The first Iraqi Special Operations Forces brigade (ISOF-1) was formed by the Iraqi Army with the help of U.S special operations forces in July 2005. The ICTF was later expanded into a brigade-sized formation known as the Iraqi Special Operations Forces Brigade, which eventually grew into a full division under the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS).^[13]

During the Iraq War (2003–2011), ISOF gained a reputation as one of the most capable elements of the Iraqi security apparatus, frequently conducting high-risk raids against insurgent leaders, weapons caches, and terror cells. The unit worked closely with United States and coalition special operations forces during this period.

In the years that followed, ISOF played a pivotal role in combating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). From 2014 to 2017, ISOF spearheaded major battles including the recapture of Tikrit, Ramadi, Fallujah, and Mosul. Their operations during the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017) drew international attention, as ISOF units engaged in some of the most intense urban combat since the Second World War.

Today, ISOF remains Iraq’s premier counter-terrorism and special operations force, operating under the command of the Counter-Terrorism Service. It continues to be deployed in missions against terrorist cells, insurgent remnants, and organized crime across the country.^[14]

2016 Battle of Mosul

In the Battle of Mosul that began in October 2016, the special ops forces were the first division into the city of Mosul, which had been occupied by Islamic State since 2014.^[15] After the fall of Mosul, the ISOF battalions increasingly took up an infantry role the Iraqi army and militias weren't able to provide during operations, a role the unit was unfamiliar with for most of the war against terror. This resulted in a greater number of casualties than in previous operations, which were smaller in scale and shorter in duration.

On 1 November 2016, the 1st Iraqi Special Forces Brigade fought its way into the Gogjali quarter of the city, becoming the first Iraqi unit to enter the city during the offensive.^[16] On 10 July 2017, the Iraqi prime minister declared the liberation of Mosul from ISIS.^[17] By the end of the battle, CTS forces suffered a 40 percent casualty rate.^[18]

Command Structure

 

Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) soldiers advance across rugged terrain during a clearing operation.

The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) are organized into three primary brigades, each responsible for operations in different regions of Iraq. The structure includes specialized battalions for commando, support, reconnaissance, and tactical operations.

• 1st Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-1) – Based in Baghdad, often referred to as the Golden Division, previously known as the Golden Brigade.^[19]
  •   1st Battalion (Commando) – Former 36th Battalion
  •   2nd Battalion (ICTF)
  •   3rd Battalion (Support)
  •   5th Battalion (Reconnaissance)
• 2nd Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-2) – Operates in Nineveh, Kirkuk, Karbala, Diyala, and Al Asad.
  • 6th Regional Commando Battalion
  • 7th Regional Commando Battalion
  • 8th Regional Commando Battalion
  • 9th Regional Commando Battalion
• 3rd Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-3) – Responsible for operations in Basra, Babylon, Najaf, Maysan, Dhi Qar, and Muthanna. This brigade includes:
  • 10th Regional Commando Battalion
  • 20th Regional Commando Battalion
  • 36th Regional Commando Battalion
  • 45th Regional Commando Battalion

Additionally, the brigade maintains a reconnaissance battalion, a support battalion, and a Special Tactics Unit.^[20][21] There’s also a hostage rescue and maritime piracy response brigade.^[22]

•   Academia – Formerly the 4th Battalion of the 1st ISOF Brigade, this unit is responsible for screening and training new recruits for the Counter-Terrorism Command (CTC).^[23]

Equipment

Handguns

• Beretta 92FS pistol
• Tariq pistol
• S&W M&P9 pistol^[24]
• Glock 17 & Glock 19
• HS2000 pistol

Assault rifles and battle rifles

• M4A1 carbine
• M16A2/M16A4
• Remington R4^[25]
• Rock River Arms LAR-15^[26]
• SIG Sauer SIGM400^[27]
• VHS-K2/D2 bullpup assault rifle^[28]
• K2C carbine^[29]
• OTs-14 Groza

Submachine guns

• H&K MP5 ^[30]

Shotguns

• Mossberg 500 ^[31]
• Benelli M4 ^[32]

Sniper rifles and anti material rifles

• HSR Cyclone sniper rifle^[33]
• Steyr HS .50/AM50 anti-material rifle^[34]
• M24 SWS ^[35]
• ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifle^[36]
• Barrett M82A1/M107 SASR
• K14 sniper rifle^[37]
• Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle

Machine guns

• PKM
• M249 light Machine gun
• M240 GPMG
• DShKM heavy machine gun
• Browning M2HB

Launchers and grenade launchers

• M203 grenade launcher
• RPG-7
• RPG-27
• M136 AT4
• Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon
• Milkor MGL
• Daewoo Precision Industries K4
• Mk 47 Striker

Vehicles

• Promoter DAPC-2^[38]
• Humvee

Notes

1. Reports directly to Prime Minister of Iraq

References

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iraqi Special Operations Forces.

1. "Changes in Senior Military Positions in Iraq". Alsharqiya.
2. "Counter Terrorism Service Law (2016)" (PDF). Ministry of Justice.
3. "Video: Iraq's 'Golden Division' troops in the battle for Mosul". France24. 8 December 2016.
4. "The force leading the Iraq army's fight against ISIS went from 'dirty division' to golden boys". The Washington Post.
5. "With Isis plotting a comeback, Iraq's famed 'Golden Division' prepares for the long fight". The Independent.
6. Witty 2015, p. 10.
7. "Tip of The Spear" (PDF). SOCOM.
8. Witty, David (2016). "The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service" (PDF). Brookings Institution.
9. Eisenstadt, Jane's Intelligence Review.
10. Neville 2015, p. 226.
11. "2 Most Wanted Al Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Killed by U.S., Iraqi Forces" FoxNews, 19 April 2010.
12. Waleed Ibrahim. "Al Qaeda's top two leaders in Iraq have been killed, officials said Monday, in a strike the United States called a "potentially devastating blow" but whose impact analysts said may be limited". Thomson Reuters.
13. "Special Operations: Iraqi Special Operations Forces". StrategyPage. StrategyWorld.com. 17 November 2005. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
14. Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq - March 2008 Report to Congress.
15. Ramsay, Stuart (20 October 2016). "Elite troops strengthen battle for Mosul". Sky News. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
16. "Iraqi Army enters Mosul: Live updates day 16".
17. "Iraqi PM declares victory over Islamic State in Mosul". Reuters. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
18. https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2018/fy2018_CTEF_J-Book_Final_Embargoed.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
19. Witty 2015, p. 12.
20. Witty 2015, p. 25.
21. "DVIDS - Images - Iraqi Special Operations Special Tactics Unit [Image 3 of 6]". dvidshub.net. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
22. https://icts.gov.iq/?magazine=15
23. "Golden Division / Iraqi National Counter-Terrorism Force (INCTF) Counter-Terrorism Service [CTS]".
24. "Iraqi Military using S&W M&P9 Pistol". www.thefirearmblog.com. 31 October 2008.
25. "Remington R4s Reach Iraq". Silah Report. 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
26. "ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 1 – Personal Equipment". Armament Research Services. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
27. "ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 1 – Personal Equipment – Armament Research Services". 27 November 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
28. "VHS K2 Bullpup in Iraq". www.thefirearmblog.com. 21 October 2016.
29. "Korean K2C in Iraq, on both sides". www.thefirearmblog.com. 30 September 2016.
30. Jones & Ness 2009, p. 514. sfn error: no target: CITEREFJonesNess2009 (help)
31. Cite error: The named reference bicc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
32. https://armamentresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/6.jpg
33. "Iraq Loses Two Valued Snipers in the fight against IS". www.thefirearmblog.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
34. "Iraqi CT Sniper in Comfy Action". www.thefirearmblog.com. 13 October 2017.
35. Vining, Miles (April 22, 2017). "ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 2 – Precision Rifles". armamentresearch.com.
36. "Iranian AM50 and Russian ORSIS T-5000 rifles in Iraq". www.thefirearmblog.com. 18 June 2014.
37. "Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) member armed with K14 sniper rifle and K2C Carbine". www.pinterest.com.
38. "Iraq parades new South Korean-made armoured vehicles". Jan 15, 2021.

Further reading

• Gordon, Michael (R.) (2022). Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. ISBN 978-0374279899.
• Neville, Leigh (2015). Special Forces in the War on Terror. General Military. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8.
• Witty, David (2015). The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (PDF). Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution. p. 10. Retrieved 5 June 2016.